Who ARE You! (Dez's POV)
by JoeyJar99
Summary: "Who ARE You!" through Dez's eyes. I HIGHLY recommend reading the other first Austin and Dez have a big secret that no one knows. Their good job hiding at it streak gets ruined when it starts acting up in front of Ally, will she figure it out? There's only so much time before she catches on. Or worse, she doesn't and they lose their best friend, and the love of Austin's life.
1. Chapter 1: This is just perfect!

**Hello again, everyone! And hello to those of you that are new! Welcome! So, this is ****_Who Are You?!,_**** a previous story if mine, but instead of through Ally's eyes, which the first one was, it is now through Dez's eyes. Because Dez knows some things that Ally doesn't, it won't be identical to last story. Each chapter of this story will correspond with the same chapter number as the other story. I HIGHLY recommend reading the last one first, but I can't force you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

I am going to kill that imbecile and he's going to happy I did because, if I hadn't already killed him, he would've asked me to.

He makes absolutely no sense. He wants to keep it a secret yet doesn't take the necessary precautions to stop his biggest fear from becoming a reality.

Then again, what did I expect when he told me he loved her?

Technically, he said he had a crush on her, not that he was in love, but I know my best friend and I knew he was going to fall for her the second he saw her, the moment their eyes met, and the first word that they said to each other. He thinks that their first moment is when their hands touched at the piano while they wrote their first song together but he's wrong.

He'll figure it out eventually.

Given, I've never been in love, not like he is, but I get the concept and I've studied him. I get the whole wanting to spend a large amount of time with your crush and everything and being anxious as to when you'll see them again but he's not thinking anything through anymore and this is gonna be our hamartia and he's going to panic and sulk, which seem like contradictions, but in this case, they fit perfectly together.

You see, I know he's anxious and itching to see her so I showed up earlier to pick him up from his house. When I got there, Mom_** {1}**_ said he had left half an hour ago and she thought he was with me. He wasn't but I knew exactly where he was going. His love nest, A.K.A Sonic Boom: The place where his first love is sold by his true love.

So right now, I'm racing to Sonic Boom. Hopefully, and if we're lucky, nothing's happened. If it has...

Austin will be so disappointed.

I stop in my tracks as I see Trish heading towards the store. Great, just what I need.

I smile anyway and walk up to her, "Hey Trish!"

She looks at me with confusing emotion. She strongly dislikes me but then tolerates me other times. "Freckles," she decides on.

Very clever nickname.

As we get closer to the front doors, we see Austin and Ally at the front counter, Ally looking pretty freaked.

"No, it's not! Your name is Austin Moon!" she yells at him.

Oh no.

"Woah. Calm down, Babe. You're harshing my mellow," he shrugs his shoulders and I know that shrug and I know that lexicon.

OK, calm down. Let's not jump to conclusions (even if those leaps are smaller than steps). First, gather more data.

"Hey guys!" I greet them as I walk into the store, Trish abandoning my side to be behind the counter, near Ally's.

My buddy turns toward me, pulling me into a handshake/half-hug, "D-Dawg! How you been, man?"

Drake.

OK, Drake's cognition is far more sensitive than Ally's, so play to him.

"Pretty good. You?"

"Alright. Hey, have you seen the new Zalie-?"

"What?!" Ally shouts, interrupting. It's a good thing she did because I'm pretty sure I was going to be asked about one we've already seen seven times already.

"Woah. You OK, Ally?" she looks like she's borderline hyperventilating and passing out.

Drake scoffs, "You should've seen her earlier. She was screaming at me, claiming that I was lying about my name."

"That's because you were! You said your name was Drake! Which it isn't!"

"Woah, Babe, that one had some volume in it," he looks surprised or like something really loud just blew by.

Believe me, that makes sense.

I need to get him out of here, but how?

I know!

"Hey," I tap Drake's shoulder with the back of my hand, purposely leaving out a name, "Do you wanna go get some pizza at Mini's?"

"Mini's?"

"Yeah. It's this new restaurant that opened a while ago."

He's going to have go there soon enough, might as well use that as a way to get him out.

"Sure, sounds good," he turns to Ally and Trish, who both look confused, but of different intensities, "Bye Babe. Bye...whatever your name is..."

Oh, he's going to get an earful for that later.

I wave goodbye, though I don't think they noticed, and we exit Sonic Boom.

Behind us, I hear Trish ask, "What just happened?"

"I have absolutely no idea..." Ally trails off, no emotion in her voice.

Their voices fade away.

Oh great.

This is just perfect.

* * *

_**Things To Know:**_  
_**{1}**_ For clarification, this is still Austin's mother we're talking about. I figured Austin and Dez are close enough in my story that they would call each other's mothers, "mom".

_**Disclaimer:**_  
I do not own Austin &amp; Ally, anything that belongs to them, or anything else that I referenced.

_**JoeyJar99's Message:**_  
**Hello again! So I don't have much to say except please tell me what you thought. Thankyou!**

**Later. Over-and-Out. Live long and prosper.**


	2. Chapter 2: Nathan Meets Ally

**Hey everyone! So, it's been a bit since I updated, I'm sorry. A lot of..._things_ have been happening that I won't bother you with. I had fully intended to update earlier but to no avail, I didn't until today.**

**This chapter has some stuff that probably isn't as necessary to the plot as other things but it helps build up character and it gives you more to read (which I assume is nice to have more because of the break). I actually really enjoy writing this side of Dez because it makes him a lot deeper of a character. Maybe it doesn't come off as much as I see it because I know what's going to happen later, but still. He seems less one-dimensional. I like that.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you thought. Thankyou! :)8**

* * *

A few weeks have gone by and, thankfully, so far, no more '_surprise visits_'. Ally's been acting suspicious however. She even asked Austin about Drake. Honestly, I don't think she could've gotten the answers she wanted out of him, anyway. Naturally, Austin denied everything. He didn't want to, but he did.

Austin and I have been trying to act extra inconspicuous. Austin's been acting like nothing weird has happened. I've been acting more unusual (e.g. bringing Hello Kitty ham to school. I don't know why no one bats an eye at that).

Though despite our efforts, Trish is on to us. She's watching Austin like a hawk. She also gives him and Ally a lot of alone time, to which I keep having to interrupt (and I do feel bad about it but it has to be done at this point in time. Austin understands but hates it). It's more difficult than it should be because she stands right outside the door, which doesn't seem like giving them privacy to me but we obviously don't operate on the same wavelength. Back on topic, she hasn't brought it up or shown anything that exposes her thoughts. I don't know if that's good or bad. On one hand, she isn't saying anything which could mean she has no clue or suspicions pertaining to our secret. On the other, we don't know what she's thinking, meaning she's a wild card, and that's dangerous. Unfortunately, this one seems to have some support in its corner evidenced by her looking at Austin suspiciously and always keeping an eye on him.

Fortunately, I think we've just about thrown Ally off our trail. Hopefully, nothing's going to put her back on.

Something is.

* * *

"Wow, it's a _swell** {1a}**_ day, isn't it?"

"It sure is, Nathan," I respond. My companion has been in a happy mood all day—Well, all of his day. I, on the other hand, am a little on edge. It's not because of the day, it is quite nice, it's bright and sunny. It's because Nathan and I are at the mall and are heading toward his favorite store, Hab to Dash **_{2}_**, and to get there, we have to go past Sonic Boom. Normally I wouldn't worry about it but there are multiple reasons why I'm worrying this time. 1) I know for a fact Ally is working right now. 2) Nathan wants to go right now and I can't give a reason why we have to go later. 3) Nathan doesn't want to go any other way to Hab to Dash, he's excited and this is the shortest, quickest, and most direct way there. 4) Despite being pretty sure Ally isn't thinking of it anymore, if I expose Ally to another personality, I'm going to have to straight-up lie to her face. Again. I'd really prefer not to but I may.

I know Ally meeting Drake has been on my mind quite obsessively, I admit, but I have reasons. While it may be Austin's thing, the responsibility of keeping it secret falls on me. Not that I'm complaining, I'd happily make the same decisions again. It's just that I'm always processing it and finding ways to hide it without looking suspicious. Another reason I play the character I do, the random things that happen seem less weird and just...normal.

As we near the store, things seem to be going well. Nathan is mostly focused on getting to his location and he's even walking faster than normal. At this pace, we should be able to breeze past without being seen. The crowds certainly help.

It looked like we were golden when, suddenly, roughly 5.6 feet away from front door of Sonic Boom, Nathan collides with a small child, I'd say about 9 and a half years of age, give or take a few months.

He catches the boy as they start to tumble, and shifts it into a turn so their spots are switched, "Woah, you alright Daddy-O _**{1b}**_?"

The kid gives my friend an odd look and I smile awkwardly at his mother. I'd say she's in her early middle-aged years, with a few other kids at home, most probably older than this one, and she's running late to a...sports game? Baseball? No, soccer? No, volleyball? Volleyball. I'm guessing her kid doesn't want to go. Why? The son had short nails and curled fingers. But were there calluses? Yes. On both hands? Yes. Identical? Yes. Piano player most likely. He probably finds sport games a drag and a bore, he'd rather practice piano than watch anything having to do with a ball.

I'm guessing. I could totally be wrong. I did only see the mother for a few moments before she grabbed her son and rushed away.

"I'm assuming he's alright," Nathan states, straightening to Austin's full height.

I set my hand on his shoulder to lead him forward, "That's probably a safe assumption."

I find my hand empty and I look back to locate my friend. He stands at the open doors of Sonic Boom.

Oh great.

I walk back next to him to find him staring. I follow his line of vision to Ally, over by the grand piano in the back corner, straightening sheet music.

"Wowie..." he drags out, watching her with a lovestruck look.

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. The only girl he's ever shown any kind of interest in just has to be Ally! Now I'll never get him to leave her alone.

"Dez, ol' buddy, have I died?"

"No..." I sigh.

"Really? 'Cause she is heavenly..."

OK, that's kind of sweet.

"I have to talk to her."

"_What?!_ No! What about Hab to Dash?!"

I try to stop him but he's already cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting "HEY DOLL-FACE _**{1c}**_!" at just about the top of his lungs.

I cringe. Great. Absolutely great.

When I open my eyes, I see Ally looking at us very confused.

"Yeah! You!" Nathan confirms with a smile and a nod of his head.

"Um...Hi?" Ally guesses, as she moves to put the front counter between us.

Nathan happily walks up, making me follow, and he leans against the counter, giving her the flirtiest look he can muster. It's a lot better than I was expecting, actually, for someone who never uses one.

"Hi...?" Poor Ally is so lost...

"So, what pretty name belongs to this fox_** {1d}**_?" he smiles, trying to be charming. I don't if he's better at that or flirting. He's not fantastic at either. He's not terrible, just not fantastic.

"Um...Ally..."

"Ally," he repeats, trying it on for size, "Gorgeous...Perfect fit!" See? Like that? I bet Ally had no idea it was a double compliment. She probably thinks it's just about her name.

Her eyes widen, "Um...Thanks..." Oh, maybe not. Expect she may just realize it's flirting, not that he's calling her gorgeous. Still, that's better than she does most of the time.

His smile softens, "My name's Nathan...Nathan Detroit."

_NO!_

Her expression morphs into a mix of confusion and doubt. I don't blame her. "...Nathan?" she checks.

He nods, "Mm-hm. Nathan Detroit!"

"...You sure?" Oh, if she knew, that'd be such a stupid question.

He smiles, a bit confused, too, "Um...I'm pretty sure. It has been for 17 years."

"17 years?!" she shouts.

"Um...Yeah," he chuckles, "I _am_ 17," his smiling look turns to panic as he realizes he doesn't know why she's freaking out, "That's not gonna be a deal breaker or anything, right? 'Cause I sure hope not!"

"But...you're 15...!" Ally's just floundering.

Nathan throws his head back in frustration, "Uhg, I know! Everyone says that! But, no, 17," he shrugs, "How, um," he coughs nervously, "H-how old a-are you?"

Well, at least he's checking, but no.

"15, going on 16..." she answers slowly with a mix of shock woven through.

"Really! Oh, thank goodness!" he breathes out, collapsing on the counter a little. Wow, he was really worried about that if he acted that relieved.

She gives Nathan a confused and incredulous look, "Uh, Austin, what are yo—"

"Hey, Ally," I interrupt. This can't happen. If Ally persists in this subject, it could devastate his entire cognition. Which, if it wasn't obvious, is bad! He could become so much worse.

She looks at me confused, I bet she forget I was here. That usually happens.

"Can I speak to you alone for a second?"

"Um," she glances over at Nathan and I don't even have to look to know his face lights up when she does. She looks back at me, "I guess."

I lead her a few feet away, enough that Nathan won't hear us. It also helps he's strongly against eavesdropping.

As I turn to face her, she asks, "So, what's up, Dez?"

"Look, you know what Austin was doing? You can't ask him about it."

"What? Why not?"

Here come the lies...

"Because I'm working on a new movie. See, Austin, being my best friend, is playing the male lead. But the thing is, I haven't decided what to do yet. I mean, what can follow up the awesomeness of Claws: Dun Dun Dun?" I gesture for emphasis, almost mimicking piano keys, then I shrug it off, "So, Austin's helping. I pick a type of movie, and then he starts acting like the lead in it. But the catch is, he has to stay completely in character, 100% of the time. Well, until I try a new movie idea. That's what he was doing just now and a month ago."

I really do hate lying to her. I hate lying in the first place, but there's just something about her that makes it harder and makes you feel so much more guilty. Maybe it's her big, bright, Disney Princess eyes that always look at you with so much warmth and/or trust. Or the fact she gives you the benefit of the doubt every time and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it, and that she puts you in front of her own needs. Or that she hates lying and so she never lies to you, she's always honest. Or that I know that once you lose her trust, it's hard to win it back. Or that she's one of my best friends, one of my only friends, and while Austin may have gone a separate way with caring about her more, she's kind of like a sister to me now. And it's always hard to lie to family, for one reason or another.

I hate letting her down. I don't want to disappoint her.

"What happens if he doesn't stay in character?" she asks, snapping me back mentally.

"Well, it's not so much if he doesn't do it, but if he does do it, I'm gonna get him some pancakes."

"That makes sense. Austin does love his pancakes. It's the thing he loves most in the world," she muses to herself, thinking out loud.

"Actually, second most," I correct before I can stop myself.

"What?"

"Nothing!" I tense. OK, I know it's bad I almost let that slip, but actually, it's good for two reasons. 1) It's a good idea to plant the idea in her head if they're ever gonna end up together and I very much want them to, despite various difficulties. 2) It helps get her mind off Austin and onto me and what I almost blurted out.

"O...K..." she drags, very lost.

"Anyway, so please don't ask him about it. In fact, just go along with it. Pretend you haven't met yet and you two are just acquaintances. Well, you guys sorta are 'cause he's practically another person, the character has his own opinions on things that differs from Austin's."

That part's true.

"OK."

"Really? Thankyou!" Great! She bought it! I was worried she wouldn't, or she would at least push it more.

"No problem, Dez. I'm happy to help!" she pats me on the shoulder, slightly condescendingly but she didn't mean it like that and she doesn't even know why it would be.

We walk back to front counter and I watch as Nathan's face lights up as he notices her attention on him again.

"So, 'Nathan'?" Ally asks, double-checking on the name.

He smiles and nods.

She continues, "Were you saying something?"

"No, but I do have something to ask you. See, the town's seemed to change a lot recently and I was wondering...Would you...l-like to...Y-you know, i-if you want—" he starts stuttering. That's not good. That means he's getting nervous. And if he's nervously stuttering, Mika could easily take over. Usually, he's not that far behind. Just...no.

"Yes?" she interrupts, looking at him hopefully. Why would she interrupt? As someone else who stutters, shouldn't she know what it's like? Does interrupting, especially when it's done by someone you like, really help?

"Could you show me around town?" he blurts out, looking so hopeful.

Oh buddy...

She looks at him for a moment, processing, "Sure 'Nathan'. I'd love to!"

He smiles wider, if it's possible, "Really? YES!" he chugs his arms back, celebrating, but the happiness is cut short when he realizes she's still watching. He tries to play it cool by leaning against the counter, "I-I mean 'choice'. Yeah...Real choice... _**{1e}**_"

Ally giggles, "I get off work in 10 minutes. Can you wait until then?"

"Yeah. Totally!" he exclaims, his slang getting mixed, as it usually does.

He just stands there...smiling...just making this awkward. Because he's standing there awkwardly, both Ally and I are as well, waiting on him.

Ally subtly coughs.

The sound snaps him out of him stupor, "Oh! Right! I-I'll be over there..." he gestures, blushing.

"You do that," she laughs.

Nathan waves shyly, before walking to where he gestured. I follow him.

As we get out of Ally's earshot, Nathan turns to me excitedly.

"Dez, you have to give me the lay down on Ally."

"What?"

"Ally! You know her, right? How do you know her?"

"We're good friends," I admit. It will explain things that may happen later.

"Tell me about her!"

"Huh?"

"I wanna know everything about her!" he gazes at Ally, "She's fascinating!" he breathes, his shoulders sagging.

Wow, I have never seen Nathan swoon. It's kind of endearing. And I mean that in the least creepy way possible.

"There's not much to tell," I state, hoping to throw him off.

"Doesn't matter! I want to know everything!"

"I don't know, scooch_** {1f}**_…" trailing off.

"Please, Dez!" he practically begs, then turns more shy, "I know I just met her...but I really like her. I wanna find out what I can about her. And you know more about her than I do. I just want to know."

Great. I'm faced with either breaking my friend's heart now or breaking his heart later when he finds out he can't be with her. I hate these moments, and I know what I have to do. I have to shut him down here and now, before he gets too attached.

I open my mouth, ready to lie though my teeth to devastate my friend's dreams but I stop short, getting a good look at him.

He's already in love with her. And there's nothing I can do to stop that.

He's only going to fall for her more, I should nip it in the bud, but I'm not idiot, as much as this next statement makes me sound like one, I shouldn't go against him. Not for the sake of love, but for the sake he'll defy me and see her anyway. If he does, I won't be able to help him or watch him and things could spiral out of control. Ally won't know what to do with him, she'll probably shut him down, and if not, she won't love him for real. That will hurt him more than anything. She could get mad at him for not being Austin, which he has no control over or even knows what she means, and Ally is smart and persistent. She can make very good points, threatening his sensitive cognition. I have no clue what could happen if we break it. He could be brain dead, for all we know!

I have to support him, even though I know the relationship won't last. It'll hurt, but at least he's safe.

"Her name is Ally Dawson," I start and I watch Nathan get more excited. He doesn't take his eyes off Ally, "She does have a middle name but she won't tell me what it is, and it's just Ally. Her name isn't short for anything. She has four brothers—three older, one younger. And she's the only woman in her family besides her mother. Her passion is music, it's her lifeblood."

"That's a beautiful passion…"

"Yeah, it is," I nod, "She's the best songwriter I know. She also knows how to play many instruments and she's a very talented singer. Though, for your safety, I would suggest avoid hearing her sing."

"Why?"

"Because I have a feeling that if you heard her sing, you wouldn't be able to think anymore. She's got the kind of voice that melts hearts," I take notice how his hand fingers his heart, "And I don't think you're in stable enough condition to undergo that." What else? "She spends most of her time writing songs or working here, her father owns the store."

"Wait, she's one of those women that work retail_** {3}**_?" his smile dips from the shock for a second, but it's quickly back up with even more strength than before, "Oh, of course she is! They don't care what society thinks of them. What else?"

"Her favorite flowers are Lilies of the Valley because they look like little bells."

"That's adorable."

"She's 15 years old, she'll be 16 in a few months," I warily start getting to points I know he'll care about, "She's single."

"Wait," he tears his eyes away for the first time in nearly five minutes, "'Single'...Didn't that mean she wasn't dating anyone."

"Yep. That's what it means. She isn't seeing anyone."

He stares at me long and hard, "That is the least funny joke you have ever told me."

"It's not a joke," I defend, "It's true. She isn't dating anyone. She isn't even promised to anyone."

"...Is she on the make **_{1g} _**or something?"

"No. To be on the make, you'd need to have a steady _**{1h}**_. She hasn't had one."

"She's never had a steady?!" he utterly shocked, "Has she been on a date?"

"No."

"Has she kissed a boy?"

"No."

"No…?' he looks back over at her, "so she's untouched. She's so innocent… So pure… To have never kissed a boy… Well, I haven't kissed anyone, either, but that's different. She's...her! I don't know how you'd be able to resist if you were with her."

"Well, that's the thing, she hasn't been with anyone," his attention shifts back to me, "She's isn't allowed to date until she's 16."

Everything finally clicks into place, "Ohhhhhhh! That makes sense then! I'm glad she sticks to her values. I like that," he smiles, now looking at her again, "Golly _**{1i}**_, I bet cats _**{1j}**_ are just lining up for her birthday so she's finally eligible," his voice is slightly sad.

"Actually...no," I correct, grabbing his attention again, "Other cats don't really notice her, let alone have a crush on her. You're sort of the only one that's noticed her…"

"How?" he stares at her in confusion, "She's beautiful, and smart, and kind, and friendly, and dedicated, and considerate, and determined, and confident, and talented, and a hard worker, and passionate, and she makes the cutest confused face, not to mention how sparkly her eyes are... How do you not notice her?"

"She's kind of a diamond in the rough," I lightly chuckle, guessing at an explanation.

"No...she's a diamond among coal..."

That was sweet.

Too had the relationship is doomed.

* * *

I can't believe it. I'm actually I'm hiding outside of Sonic Boom right now. This is ridiculous. I'm still not sure why I agreed to this.

Nathan is in love with Ally, that's plain to tell. I don't know how he fell in love with her so fast, but he did, and there's no going back. Apparently, Nathan is a big dork when he's in love, I didn't know that about him, but now I do.

I can barely believe it, but he asked me to leave so he could spend some alone time with Ally. It's a reasonable desire, Ally and Austin have alone time all the time, but Austin knows about his condition and that he is, in fact, Austin Moon. Nathan has no clue he even has a condition and has denied on multiple occasions that he is Austin Moon. The personality Ally knows is Austin, not Nathan, and so she knows that one of them isn't real, and the one she thinks is real is the one she knows on a personal level, AKA, Austin Moon.

Now, I can't leave them alone because neither of them fully understand the situation, not to mention Nathan is very unpredictable right now. He's usually pretty reserved, old-fashioned but that's because he's stuck in the 1950's, mature, level-headed, fed up with people these days (which I usually wholeheartedly agree with), observant, attentive, focused, and thinks everything through, which is one of my favorite things about him. But now that he's met Ally, he can't hide his emotions, he's more with the current year on multiple levels, boyish, crazy, barely could care less about people, and he's still observant, attentive, and focused, but only on Ally. If you're not her, you've got a 50/50 he'll pay attention to you if she's around. Even then, he'll probably be thinking about her. And it's like the thinking parts of brain have changed career paths and want to spend all their time vacationing in his imagination.

Look, I do have experience dealing with love-sick fools, a lot, actually, but just because the first fool shares a body with this fool doesn't mean they think, act, or feel the same. Each are completely different. Austin likes to secretly admire her, for afar and up close, but that doesn't seem like what Nathan wants to do. It looks like he wants her attention, and he wants to just stare at her. Given, he's new to this whole thing, even the idea of having romantic feelings for someone, no matter how small, (Austin's more mature on that front) but that's just more reason they can't be alone.

But I have to let him be alone with her. If I don't, he'll find a way to her, as most men in this situation would, and if he's not thinking, he's not going to care about consequences. I swear, at the drop of a hat, he's acting like he's 12 years old, discovering that women don't actually have cooties and are actually very pretty and a 15 year old, wishing they were 16 so they could be with that one girl that they're obsessing over.

Oh my gosh, I'm getting off topic. There's so much going on right now, and I'm trying to process it and file it away. Anyway, Nathan asked me to leave so he could spend some time with Ally and get to know her better. I can't leave them alone, but they have to be alone. So, we compromised. I won't interfere, but I will be following them and keeping an eye out. It's not fair or necessarily fun for either of us, but this is what has to happen.

Gosh, I feel like an idiot right now. I don't know why when my friend decides they want to be stupid, I have to be stupid, too. I don't even have a reason!

GahhhHHH!

Wait! Here comes Ally, with Nathan hot on her tail. He had to run to catch up, so that's weird.

Alright, here we go.

* * *

_**Things To Know:**_  
_**{1}** _This 1950's slang means _**{a}**_ Excellent; very good _**{b}**_ A man _**{c}**_ Term of endearment _**{d}**_ super sexy lady (I change "sexy" to "hot" though, so if you prefer that word, that is fine) _**{e} **_"choice" mean cool, and I assume "real" means very _**{f}**_ a friend _**{g} **_someone who just broke up with their steady, looking very hard for a new beau _**{h}**_ a person's regular boyfriend or girlfriend _**{i}**_ used to express surprise or delight _**{j}**_ a guy {k}  
_**{2}**_ A name for a haberdashery I made up. Well, technically, my sister did.  
_**{3}**_ In the 1950's, women were only allowed to work in "clerical positions, factory assembly lines, or in the service industry. Less than 15% of women were employed in a professional capacity and the number of women in management was even far less, topping out at 6%." (this is a direct quote from Edith Hornik Beer Digital Scrapbook's "Opportunities for Women in 1950s"). However, because Nathan is stuck in the 1950s, he thinks it's still the 1950s and so he has the mindframe from then but he sees women working in other positions so he knows they have other jobs. It's a bit confusing, I know, but basically he still thinks women don't have many jobs but he sees they have more than normal and hasn't put it together yet that women can work all the same jobs men can. He just thinks those women are rebels and don't care what people think of them.

_**Disclaimer:**_  
I do not own Austin &amp; Ally, the name Nathan Detroit, anything else I referenced that I forgot to mention by name down here, or anything belonging to what I referenced.

_**JoeyJar99's Message:**_

**Hi peoples! I really hope you enjoyed this. Please tell me what you thought! Thankyou so much!**

**Later. Over-and-Out. Live long and prosper.**


	3. Chapter 3: Stalking

**WARNING:**

**Dez has some realizations concerning Austin and Ally's relationship and it gets a little DEPRESSING. Not too much but I wanted you all to know.**

* * *

**Hiya everyone! Happy Thanksgiving for all of you celebrating it! Well, I wish the others happy things, too, but it probably doesn't mean as much. I'm not sure... Hi! I could spend a while about why I haven't updated more recently but I don't think you guys care. Just a lot of things. Things getting in the way of writing and things getting in the way of posting. I don't know...**

**I'm so sorry if this chapter gets boring. It is kinda boring following someone around. But I also forgot something. _Who ARE You?!_, being a full story, shows my progression as a writer. And at the beginning I was having trouble with pacing. It didn't occur to me, _really_ occur to me, until after at least chapter 12. **

**However, this chapter does contain some interesting realization from Dez****. Probably something no one was thought of. Or maybe you have and you're all just geniuses. If you didn't think of it, though, don't feel bad. You're still a genius and you're wonderful! I'm thankful for all of you. Each and every one. Yes, even you! YES!**

**THANKYOU! **

* * *

I've been following Ally and Nathan around for a good five minutes. Ally's been going on about places, pointing them out, and I'm not sure Nathan is hearing a word she's saying. He's nodding and laughing and everything but he's hanging so tight to her every word, I don't know if he's actually going to retain any of it.

Ally stops suddenly. Nathan doesn't realize it at first so he keeps walking but after a few steps, he does and comes back. He stands in front of her, a hint of concern on his face.

She looks up at him, shakes her head, then points off the the side at a building.

Burger Buddy. Isn't Trish working there today?

Nathan says, "Oh", like "That's a cool random piece of information that I 1) don't understand, and 2) will never use because it will never come up for me again. Thanks for the fact I would've been completely fine without." OK, Nathan probably would love more that she _is_ giving him random information than be annoyed by it. Though, maybe no, because he's stupidly unpredictable right now.

Ally says something else that makes him look sad for a few seconds before he quickly hides his disappointment.

I guess it was an answer she liked or was excited about or something because she then runs to the door, leaving Nathan in the dust.

He quickly though sprints up to get there before she does so she can open the door for her.

Awesome. I have to follow them into a place that only has one exit, the one they just went through, one that may or may not have a bell, and have them not notice me. Great.

Alright, let's do this.

I sneak closer to the door, staying low. I'm taller than Ally, she won't be looking for me two feet off the ground. I stop just next to the door and open it a smidge. Ally and Nathan are standing right in the middle of the walkway a few feet from me. Why would they stand in the middle? They're blocking people!

I pick up on the end half of Nathan's sentence, "...working? Is she really gonna drop everything at a moment's notice?"

Ally chuckles, "Oh-h-h, 'Nathan'. You don't know Trish."

Well that's true. For multiple reasons. One, he hasn't met her. Two, that is something she would do.

"Trish!" Ally shouts, and I feel and hear their footsteps retreat. I carefully peek my head out to check and yep, they have. Great!

I open the door all the way, and tiptoe in but I'm careful not to look suspicious. Ally and Nathan are now in the corner of the room with Trish. Nathan enthusiastically shakes Trish's hand.

Drat, it's so loud in here, I can't hear them talk. That means I'm going up have to get closer.

I inch closer, trying up stay out of sight but not look creepy. I pretend like I'm looking for a place to sit. I spot a place just out of their eye sight. Ally whispers to Trish, which could be helping more.

Unfortunately, I catch Nathan's eye as he looks around, trying his hardest not to eavesdrop. His eyes glaze over me but I see them backtrack and widen.

I give him a look that hopefully says "Pay no attention to me. I'm not here and you don't know me. I'm just another random person."

He obeys, refocusing on Ally and Trish who have stopped whispering.

"So... Ally and_ 'Nathan'_ ..." Trish starts cautiously, obviously making a point of saying the new name. Ally gives her an approving nod so she moves on, "What brings you guys here?"

Ally fills her in, "I was just showing Nathan around and I thought we'd stop by. See if you wanna come with us."

"Awesome! Let me just get my stuff!"

Nathan's confused, "But aren't you working right now."

"Exactly!" Trish gleefully shouts, then proceeds to grab her purse and jacket from one of the booth seats. Unprofessional.

She starts walking out and Nathan's 1950's moral code is confounded, "Wait! Don't you at least have to clock out!"

"Nope!" Trish calls over her shoulder, already halfway across the restaurant.

"What?" It does not compute in his brain. You can't just _leave_ your job! It's wrong! And furthermore, you ju-just..._can't_.

Ally sighs, then grabs his arm as she says, "Uhg, come on!"

Well, that's a new side of her. She's usually more patient.

She then drags him out. OK, now I have to follow them again. It felt so nice to sit but oh well.

* * *

OK, this "sneaking around" thing is starting to get old. Luckily, I'm pretty good at it because of my directing. I used to squatting and hunching oddly to get new angles, hiding from everyone's view as to not disturb the craft. The hiding isn't different, neither is following people secretly (that came out wrong. I follow them like a documentary type of following, not in a creepy stalker way), what's getting old is the why. This isn't for my passion, it's for someone else's new-found passion. New-found as in they just found out they can have passion. I mean, seriously, a 17 year old boy isn't interested in girls? That's weird. That's usually prime dating time. Some boys start liking girls before they're of age to date. Some right after they realize boys and girls are different. Austin and I have both gone through a few crushes already and we're 16. Some of our peers are even in couples. And it's not a personality things because Drake is very interested in girls. He's got a bit of a player attitude.

Then again, if he didn't have an interest before, I should have been expecting him to soon. He's not going to be single forever.

Forever.

How on Earth is that going to manage? Austin and Ally are obviously going to end up together, no doubt, you're an idiot if you can't see that. But how are the other personalities going to factor into their relationship? First off, Austin's only Austin 1/8 of the time, meaning that while he will be completely faithful, his body may not because someone else is controlling it. He could easily cheat on her 87.5% of the time without having any say in it. Ally will constantly be in relationship but only able to see her boyfriend 12.5% of his life. In a day, that's only 3 hours. In a week, that's 0.875 days (21 hours). In a month, that's 3.75 days (roughly). In a year, 45.625 days. She wouldn't even see him two months in a year. That's without factoring in time spent alone for whatever reason, or meals and sleep. He wouldn't be able to remember dates or anniversaries or be there when she needs him. He could completely forget dates, not show up for their wedding, not be there for the birth of their child, or any other milestone. Ally's got a big heart, she could forgive dates and even anniversaries but the last two are not acceptable. And then add being in the public eye. All the scandals. "Austin Moon caught cheating again!" "Austin Moon, unfaithful!" "Austin Moon without wedding ring!" "Why does Ally keep taking Austin back?" "Ally Dawson breaks down in the middle of Macy's." "What happened to good ol' Ally Dawson?" It would drive her down. Down deep and dark. It's break her.

It'd break her well.

And eventually...we'd run out of glue. She'd be past the point glue can help. It'd only make puddy. Something to mold in your hands into something she never was. What you made her to be.

There'd be nothing left of Ally Dawson. Only a broken, scarred, discolored, worn out shell.

And don't think Austin would be all cool with this. Oh no, he'd beat himself up about it. He'd hate himself. He'd hate everything. He'd be even more angry. He'd try to protect Ally and keep her away from harm but it wouldn't work. It would never work. You can't snuggle with a bomb and not expect to get hurt. And when the bomb goes off...she'd be at the epicenter. Her family would be hurt, so would his, me and Trish, our families, their friends, and all their fans, they'd all get hurt by it in one way or another but Ally would bear the grunt of it. Austin has an escape he keeps falling into. Ally doesn't. She's stuck.

He'd get _furious_ with himself because he keeps breaking what he most cares about and he's powerless to stop it. He doesn't like those other women, he's loved only Ally for years. She's all he sees in a crowd. And he'd be able to see exactly what he's doing to her. All the pain he's causing. All the cracks and splinters. The loss of color and the loss of shine. The absence of her smile and the twinkle in her eye. How she listens to sadder songs now and when she sings the happy ones professing the joys of love, her voice just isn't in it as much. He'd know exactly how much he's breaking her.

But he wouldn't leave her. He's mature enough to know that he's the only one who can truly heal her. But he's not mature enough to see that he needs to step back, and stop hurting her. To get it together. You don't keep pulling on the leg of a teddy bear that's coming off. Standing there and pushing it back to where it was supposed to be and pulling the thread tight only does so much. You need to let go, get a needle and thread, and sow it back on. He'd just keep pushing it back into place, and tugging on the thread. He'd do it so tightly, like his life depended on it, because it does. He needs it to work. If it doesn't...he's lost.

And all this only would only be more fuel for ridicule. The public likes to take something small and blow it up into something bigger. Well now that it's bigger and everyone knows about it, it'll never be fixed. Can't they see that? That the cost of earning a few bucks is costing some people their lives and happiness?

And like soap operas, it'd make the problem worse. I wouldn't be surprised if Ally ended up being seen with someone else. If anything is, this entire thing is perfect soap opera reason to push her into someone else's arms. Ally'd never cheat on anyone, but in a soap opera...

Austin'd be angry. He'd destroy everything in his path. He'd kill that man for being with his girl But...he'd see he's the reason it happened. He'd know he drove her away. He'd realize it's all his fault his angel looks like she's fallen and been trampled and broken in, like a horse, by life. By everyone. And it's his fault.

I don't think it's hard to figure out what could happen next.

Their relationship is a bomb. Its going to go off. It's going to damage everything in it's wake.

There'll be nothing left.

Just smoke and ashes of a once happy life.

They stop.

No.

No, no, no, no. That can't happen. They love each other too much. Their relationship can't lead to..._that_. It can't...

I stare at them, at this impending explosion, the way they handle each other. At the gentle touch of his hand against her cheek, so scared he'll hurt her. She's fragile in his mind because he knows how easy he could lose her. And he's terrified. It's his biggest fear. At the ghost of a smile on her face that comes from a quiet laugh, because he's so close but he can still make her happy. At the soft light that appears in his eyes at the laugh of his beloved and the proud fact he caused it.

They can't end like that. Their brains are wired to love each other. Austin's consciousness is hiding and Ally's oblivious to her feelings that are soon to bloom, I know they are, yet they still have this...connection. This desire to make the other happy and to protect them. To be around the other.

They can't end like that. Except, those are exact things that will help with it becoming a reality.

They can't end like that.

Do they have to?

Please say no.

Please, _please_ say no.

It can't...

It won't.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I take it out and the callerID says Ally. Great. I am not in a mood to talk to her right now.

I sigh, and answer, saying the first greeting that pops into my head, "Dez's dial, for all your duck, deer, and dog demands." _What?_

_"Hey Dez!"_ Ally chirps. Oh sweetie...

I try to pull out the zaniness that has escaped far past my reach, "Oh, hey Ally! So what can I get ya? Need a duck?"

_"Um...as tempting as that sounds, no. I was calling to see if you wanted to hang-out with us."_

No, not really. But Dez has to be. "Sure! I'll see you guys soon!"

I move the phone away from my ear. As I do, I hear Ally's voice shout after me but I still hang-up. I close my eyes for a few seconds, apologizing in my head. Unfortunately, I will probably never get a chance to actually apologize to her. I look back at them, staring at the proud smile on his face and the satisfying of the yearning to please her in his eyes. Whatever he did, he's hoping it makes her happy and gives him positive points. Her happy, though surprised, smile.

They won't end like that.

Not if I have anything to do about it.

My best friends are going to live happily ever after, not depressed never now.

They'll be happy. And they'll be together.

The only question now is...how?

* * *

They need to stop walking around. I need to go back home and start brainstorming. How on Earth am I supposed to think of ways to protect their relationship when I'm following them around. I can't even hear what they're saying, I'm not entirely sure why this happened.

Oh. That's why.

We've reached the food court part of our tour and Trish has just previously left them to pursue a cute boy. Now, we're at the jealousy part. A man just put an arm around Ally and Nathan is _very_ upset. Fan-tastic!

Nathan has a dangerous protective look on his face. And it's intense. I could see that look on a hungry animal wanting it's prey. Not that Ally's prey, at least not to Nathan, but it's the same grave, super protection.

Alright, this could easily turn really, really bad. If he gets angry enough, he'll Hulk out and switch personalities to his defensive one. And guess what? That's not Austin!

I should interfere but then they'd know I was watching. I could make it seem I wasn't and run in from the side and play the fool.

No, Nathan needs to fight his own battles. Especially in front of Ally and especially for Ally. She needs to see he has a spine and that he won't hesitate to defend her. I'll interfere if it starts getting really bad.

Let's just hope he does it right.

Nathan shouts something a little louder than talking , I think was "Who I'm not!", with his arms flapping out from his side for a bit.

The man rolls his eyes and turns back to Ally. I take in his appearance for future reference. He's tall, buff, and has short blond hair. He stands like he's adjusting for added weight, like he's top heavy, but stays light on his feet. He carries himself with haughty confidence, like he expects something from people. Interestingly, I notice his jaw muscles slightly larger than normal. His hair isn't buzz-cut, but like it has to fit in something.

This guy's a football player, isn't he?

And he's one of the stupid ones. I don't mean like dumb (though a look in his eyes tells me he is), but like he's the stereotypical type. A lot of football players are very nice, actually. They let me film things with them in it. I've learned they're humble and polite and have no trouble mixing with other social groups. Some do regularly. I think one is even in one of Ally's clubs. They just mostly stick to other players because football has a way of taking up your life. It's what all your free time is spent to. You make friends with the other people when it becomes your life.

The man's head turns slowly to Nathan, almost not believing the guts of his statement. Nathan doesn't back down so the man steps forward, obviously not liking the challenge of his dominance. Nathan steps forward, too, and his hand twitches by his side.

He wants Ally next to him. Good job. Protecting her. Smart move.

She must have seen it because she runs behind and grabs his hand. He holds it firmly behind him, signaling for her stay there.

A part of me thinks that's really adorable.

Soon, Ally reaches up on her feet to whisper to Nathan. He turns his head to hear her but doesn't let go of the defensive wall that his body provides between his "doll" and the obvious player. I mean, really.

Nathan's chin lifts, in a "trying to appear larger and more intimidating" way, as he focuses back on the "conversation".

A few words are said before Nathan shakes his head disappointingly. Snap! And I don't even know what happened.

Nathan looks up thoughtfully.

The guy throws a name at my friend, I can tell, before Nathan starts speaking up again so I can hear him. "What am I getting at?! The truth! It's about time you reflected on yourself..." then I can't hear the rest.

But it makes the jock angry. His jaw clenches and his fist raises, with one finger pointing at Nathan in a clear warning but honestly...it's all talk. If was really going to hurt him, he would've just punched him.

"You probably think you're some big stud_** {1a}**_, that has girls..." and his voice trails off.

Gosh, Nathan, stay consistent. If you're going to be loud, be loud. If not, stay quiet, This back and forth is bothering me.

The guy looks smug and happy but the look is quickly wiped off his face as Nathan starts again, "Well, you're not! All you are is some lowlife, stuck up_** {1b}**_, bench racing _**{1c}**_, five finger discounting_** {1d}**_, shuckster _**{1e}**_. And any self-respecting girl wouldn't even glace your way a_ first_ tine. And you think_ I'm_ the loser!" Nathan's voice gets real quiet and his face gets a centimeter or two closer, just to be right up in his face.

Suddenly, a proud Nathan, with his head held high, drags Ally away from the scene.

The jock tries to get the last word by weakly yelling "...I-I better not see you again! Or I'll pound you so hard you'll be drinking out of your mouth!' But honestly,I think it would've been better for his ego if he had kept his mouth shut.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever!" Nathan dismisses and my jaw drops. That's some bold confidence he hasn't had. I have the overwhelming desire to go, "Ohhhhhhh!"

I watch the reaction the group has. The assailant is so angry he shakes and his face turns red. Doesn't help that his friends are laughing. He threatens them with a look and they shut up in fear. Yep, that's a healthy relationship. He storms off and they follow but not before sharing a smile.

Oh man...That's rich!

I decide I should probably follow Nathan and Ally again and I get up to do so. I catch up to them and see Nathan looks down at Ally with a gentle, "you're adorable" smile.

He laughs and her head drops. Odd... However, he swings a comforting arm around her shoulder. Which, I have to say, is pretty smooth. A lot smoother than Austin is at times. He can be a real dork around her.

They stroll comfortably and I notice Ally ask Nathan something but then my phone vibrates. I take it out quickly and notice it's my alarm for Ally getting back to work. I dismiss it, and as I'm putting my phone back in my pocket, I notice Ally hitting her watch. It went off for her, too.

She smiles and he blushes. So she can do it to the personalities, too. Good to know.

* * *

_**Things To Know:**_  
_**{1}**_ 1950's slang for _**{a}**_ Hot guy _**{b}**_ Conceited _**{c}**_ When men sit on a bench, talking about their cars and who would beat whom **_{d}_ **stealing (that's what five finger discount means) **_{e}_ **A deceiver, liar, cheat

_**Disclaimer:**_  
I do not own Austin &amp; Ally, the name Nathan Detroit, or anything I referenced. Nor anything belonging to the previous.

_**JoeyJar99's Message:**_

**Hey friends! This is rushed (the posting) and I'm sorry. It's 11 pm where I am and the earlier I post, the better. But I really wanted to get this out to you guys. If there are mistakes, I am so sorry. Feel free to kindly let me know in the comments. I hope you enjoyed it! Have a wonderful day (if you want. I won't force you.)**

**Later. Over-and-Out. Live long and prosper. **


	4. Chapter 4: Brainstorming

**Hiya everyone! I've been gone and I suck. **

**I don't really do New Year Resolutions (so much so, I don't know if I'm supposed to capitalize all those letters) but I am going to try to be a lot better of a writer and updater. At the very least, keep you updated. ****I just got a laptop so I'll be able to write more. My laptop broke awhile back (by "broke" I mean that it wouldn't charge at all so it's dead. Really dead.) so I could write on my phone, which is inconvenient for long monologues (which this story has more of than you'd think) or my family's big computer which I used to do my homework on and I really didn't want to spend 6 hours a day locked in one room by myself.**

**I will continue responding to reviews. I'm sorry I haven't. I keep rushing to update and just want to get it out. I really care about every message and am so thankful for them. I realized if I write down a response right away, I just have to copy it over. **

**I made an Instagram so I suggest you follow me. I only have one post right now and one follow. It's under my username, JoeyJar99, so I hope it's easy to find.**

**As I'm rewriting this story, I'm realizing how much it dragged. I'll admit, it was kinda boring. I'm so sorry. Thankyou so much to everyone who read the early chapters and kept with it. Because even I don't want to keep reading this over and over again, I'm going to start the sequel (this was an "equal". You know, like a continuation is a sequel and a backstory is a prequel). That way I can switch back and forth when I get tired. I'm really hoping it'll work. It'll be called "**What ARE We?!**". Kinda like the last one's title. Is that cheesy? Oh well.**

**I intend to post the sequel very soon, but my track record isn't the best. BUT I'M TRYING TO DO BETTER! I SWEAR!**

**I hope you enjoy. Thankyou.**

* * *

We're finally back to Sonic Boom and let me just say, I don't know if Nathan is smooth or transparent. He didn't remove his arm from around Ally's shoulders at any point. I suppose the judge of that is what Ally thinks of it. Honestly, though, I think she'd think positively. Austin loves holding her in one way or another. She makes him feel loved so he tries to do the same. It's sweet, especially when you take into account that he doesn't know her emotional issues. It's considerate.

"Thanks Nathan," Ally turns to Nathan as they stop a few feet away from the counter.

"For what?" Nathan asks, obviously puzzled.

"For today. It was nice to get out of Sonic Boom for my break for once. But mostly for standing up for me from that Biff guy."

"Don't sweat it, doll. He's a jerk," he actually caresses her cheek, "You don't deserve anything like that..." I just barely make out. Dude, if Ally was falling from an airplane, that look could cushion her fall. I wonder if he actually knows he can't break her by just looking at her.

Surprisingly, Ally holds his look for a moment or two before, not so surprisingly, taking many large steps back. As she does so, she shakes her head like a bad memory. Hurtful. She stutters, making it obvious she's freaking out, "I-I-I-I-I'm g-g-g-gonna g-go w-w-work now..." she points toward the front counter.

Nathan jumps a centimeter, his eyes widening a fraction, and his head shakes. He tries to find where he is when his eyes land on her, "R-right," he closes his eyes, I think to get a better grip, "You go work. Is it OK if I stay here for a bit? We're still waiting for Dez."

Right. Waiting for me.

"Y-yeah," she agrees and walks behind the front counter. Nathan sits by the piano by the back door. Perfect.

I leave to walk around the back door. I open it carefully since I know it has a bell. I sneak next to Nathan, "Hey buddy."

No response.

"Buddy? I know you can hear me."

Nothing. What is up with him.

Wait, let me guess.

Following his focused line of vision, I find my guess correct. Man, can Ally let me have the attention of any of them?

That came out wrong.

I move as close as I can to his ear and say something in it. It gets no response.

OK, so he's in hyperfocus lockdown mode. There's no getting to him. If only he could focus this hard on schoolwork. It'd make it so much easier to tutor him. I wonder how much time I have. I can't be seen in here.

Nathan releases a cross between a whimper and a sigh. Great! That's 10 minutes, at least. I'll just come back and check on him. I need to do some damage control and create an alibi.

Can I leave Nathan here?

He won't talk to anyone. The only one he'll even hear talk is Ally and she's busy. She's always really busy the first 20 minutes of her shift. She won't pay any attention to him until 24 minutes and 37 seconds into her shift. I counted. Austin starts whimpering and turning into a home-sick puppy when she refuses to pay him attention. Well, he's never "marked his territory" so to say, when he's depressed. At least, not in a way a dog does. He acts like a boyfriend instead to mark her as his. It'll be so much less of a heartache and headache when she's in on it, too.

But good. I have some time.

* * *

"There you are!" 19 minutes and 13 seconds later, I run into Sonic Boom out of breath. Naturally, as I suspected, I grab Ally's concern and she walks to stand next to me.

"Dez...What are you doing here?"

"You guys called to see if I wanted to hang out. Did I imagine that conversation? Ah! Not again!" I whine, continuing to maintain my "idiotic" cover.

"Dez, we called you over 20 minutes ago. I thought you forgot."

Nope. Under 20 minutes. But it's understandable, you've been working. Time tends to blur together. I start stringing together my insane alabi in the dumbest way I could, "Well, I did for a second there. See, first I had to let Fred and George into their cage since I was leaving and they were done with their walk, that didn't take too long, and then I left for the mall. I was walking around when I saw that parfait vender and I was like 'FOR NARNIA!' and ran over to it. Cause, you know, Narnia loves parfaits. I paid the guy then after I finished, Narnia didn't want it...and she was at home. I forgot why I was at the mall for the first place. So I started walking towards Sonic Boom to see if Austin was busy. But then I ran into Trish talking to this guy, he was cute, and she told me that you had been looking for me. So I wandered around the mall for a while until I ran by here and I saw you inside."

Ally reprimands me, like she always does. Because she cares about me, like she always does. I don't know why Austin worries. Ally's more like a mother to me than a wife. It'd be creepy if I developed feelings for her. Then again, Ally also reprimands Austin. But, she does it differently. I still can't tell if it's her that changes it or him. "OK, first, rabbit's should not have parfaits and you do not walk ferrets. Second, if you already knew that we were here, why did you wander around the mall looking for us?"

"I don't understand the question," number five on my go-to responses.

Ally drops it, like I expected, and her shoulders sag a bit in defeat, as well as her sigh, "Austin's over there."

"Thanks Ally!" I chirp before running over to Nathan. I purposefully block his line of vision which results in an unhappy look. I take advantage of it and greet him. His eyes pop up to mine. Great. I have his attention.

"Scooch _**{1a}**_! Oh, buddy, ol' pal! My best friend!"

He's still Nathan. Good.

"Hey, you seem to be in good mood."

"Sure am! I had a blast _**{1b}**_ with Ally, today! It was like crazy _**{1c}**_, man! I'm totally on cloud 9 _**{1d}**_!"

"Oh really?" I laugh and go to sit next to him.

"Yeah! We cruised _**{1e} **_around the mall, she told me some big tickle _**{1f}**_ things that happened, I met her scooch _**{1a}**_, Trish. We came across this vulture _**{1g}**_ that kept laying down some serious apple butter _**{1h}**_ on Ally. He was cruisin' for a bruisin' _**{1i}**_, cat _**{1j}**_, I tell ya. I talked to him and he left her alone. I was completely Ally's hero. Ally's such a Dolly _**{1k}**_, Dez! She's the most _**{1l}**_! She's smart, and funny, and beautiful! Oh, and she speaks her mind! There's no way she'd ever be crushed underfoot. But she's so sweet! And nice!"

"You seem to be going ape _**{1m}**_ over her."

"I know! I am! I think I'm snowed _**{1n}**_."

"Well, I'm glad you found a girl that makes you so cranked _**{1o}**_."

"I'm more than that. I'm so happy."

"I know. You told me you were cloud 9 _**{1c}**_."

"I did? Oh…" Nathan trails off, a big smile still on his face.

"So, I take it you're only more snowed _**{1n}**_ than before?"

"Definitely…!"

"Alright."

"Do you think she'd want to go out with me?"

"Maybe. You like her that much."

"Yeah…" his voice is breathy.

I cock a smile, calculating, "I think she'd want to but you gotta dig _**{1p}**_ something about Ally, first. Ally, she's never been out on a date, remember? She's also skeptical about people's feelings for her. She takes some warming up to before she falls. It's gonna be a process."

"Well, what's our first move?"

"Our's?"

"Yeah. I need your help, scooch _**{1a}**_, I don't think I can woo her by myself."

"She's not dating me, buddy."

"I know, but without your help, I don't think she'll date me either. Please."

I look at him hardly, pretending to be debating. I already know what I'm doing. "Fine."

He smiles, relieved.

"But—this comes with a condition—but! We gotta follow my game plan."

"Deal! What is it?"

"I'm not completely sure yet...Let me think on it," I pause for agreement even though it's not a question.

"Righto," I can tell he's a bit disappointing but the overall is more important to him.

"Good. I'm gonna go home, think on it—You know I think best in my room—and I'll come pick you up in a couple of hours. Until I tell you my plan, don't make a move on her! Ya dig _**{1p}**_?"

"Y-Y-Yeah. Why are you leaving me here if you don't want me talking to her?"

"Because. I figured, you'd probably enjoy a few more hours of sight-seeing."

I don't mean buildings.

I think he knows I don't.

"Oh," he blushes lightly, "Thanks."

"No problem, scooch _**{1a}**_. Now, before I go, anything else you wanna tell me?"

"Well…" his hand rubs the back of his neck, pink on his cheeks. All I can think about is that Ally's gonna love this when she gets over her denial.

* * *

I open my front door, my backpack slung over my shoulder, and I close it behind me, "Hey guys! I'm back!" I shout.

"Dez? You're home early! You and Austin don't usually come home until dinner!" my mother walks out from the kitchen. "Austin isn't with you?"

"Yeah, he's staring at Ally longingly while she works at Sonic Boom, so he's preoccupied."

"Again?! When is that boy going to ask her out and stop his own suffering?"

"I don't know, Mom. He's afraid of ruining their friendship, which I honestly doubt is going to happen. Their friendship is important to Ally, too. Besides, he also doesn't feel like he deserves her."

"How come? He's such a sweet boy."

"He's insecure about his D.I.D. Feels like he can't be enough for her."

"That's a shame. He shouldn't be so ashamed."

"I don't know, Mom. I don't think so either but I can't make him feel OK. However, I can start brainstorming how Ally and Austin are going to be together," I start walking towards the stairs that lead to my room.

"What?"

"There's going to be some difficulties navigating their relationship. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it."

"Aww, that's sweet, honey. But isn't this Austin's battle?"

I stop at the foot of the stairs and turn around, "Mom, it takes him at least 15 minutes of building himself up before telling her she looks nice. Not pretty, not cute, not amazing. Nice...You honestly want me to leave, not only his sanity and mental health, but Ally's and her heart and emotions, to him?"

"...Fair point."

"Yeah. I love him, he's my brother, but I'm not going to hurt him like that. And definitely not Ally."

There's a beat of silence so I speak again, "I'm going to go up to my room and brainstorm."

"So don't bother you?"

"It would help, yeah."

"Alright, sweetie. Good luck," she kisses my cheek. _**{2}**_

"Thankyou," I smile at her before climbing the stairs to my room.

"Dez!" I hear DiDi call out as I walk by her door.

I stop outside, "Yeah?!"

"What's 468 divided by 6?!"

"78!"

"Alright...Thankyou!"

"No problem! Hey, Didi! I'm gonna be brainstorming so—"

"Keep quiet."

I laugh at how my family knows what it means, "Yeah. Thanks Di!"

"No problem."

I walk the few feet to my bedroom and close the door behind me before hanging up my backpack on the rack I keep by my door, along with my jacket. I head to my thinking place. For most people it's their desk, or laying on their back on their bed, but for me it's a place a bit different.

My dark room.

I have three doors in my room, the exit, the bathroom, and my walk-in closet. My parents allowed me to turn my closet into a dark room. I know it may sound weird since I want to be a director and my interests include all kinds of electronics but I love old film. I have an old camera that I use to take special pictures. I also collect old film rolls and develop them. It's cool, to see what other people thought was worthy of remembering.

And I know what you're thinking; I just keep my clothes in my bedroom. There's enough space. I don't spend a lot of time in here. There's my bed, my desk, my closet rod and drawers for my clothes, and my enforced and locked cabinet that I keep all my cameras in.

I switch a red light bulb on next to the closet door that my family knows means that I'm working on pictures and to NOT open the door. If they do, all the pictures are ruined. That happened once. I lost a good dozen frames of a trip Austin and I took. Once he found out, he forced me to go out and retake them.

I didn't have the heart to tell him at least half of them were wrong. The thought was enough.

As I gather all my supplies, I start thinking.

I need a solution that will work the long run and hurts both of them the least.

Idea #1 – Get Austin and Ally together and hope we get lucky and she never finds out.

No, it'll never work. Austin's personalities are too sporadic. Even I can't predict them. I'm still not sure what their triggers are, or even if they have any.

Idea #2 – We tell Ally and hope all the anniversaries fall when Austin is conscious.

Nope! Still the problem with being sporadic.

Idea #3 – Ally dates all of his personalities.

One is 11 and the other is 900+ years old and married.

Idea #4 – We keep extensive logs of all activities and find a way to make all of them write in it and believe it's theirs

They have different vocabulary and possibly different penmanship. And what if one puts it in a place that the others don't know about?

Idea #5 – I act as a personal assistant and keep all personalities up to date.

I may possibly violate and be intruding on personal and private moments. I don't need to know they have their first kiss.

Austin's probably going to tell me anyway.

Idea #6 – and this one I'm most weary of – Austin goes to therapy to make all his personalities one personalities.

I have no idea how long that could take. How do we explain Austin not being accounted for for hours out of his normal schedule?

And you shouldn't ever change for love.

He loves her, I don't doubt it. She'll love him one day, I don't doubt it. They're meant to be together, I don't doubt it. I want them together. But no one should feel like they have to change to be loved.

And, and it's scary, but Austin could possibly get to that point in desperation.

Love changes you, but it's like smoothing a rough sculpture and shinning it. It doesn't remold you into a different sculpture.

I sigh, frustrated. None of these ideas are good. This is not a good place to be.

Unfortunately, the therapy is the best option.

Negatives – It'll take some time. Austin could get especially desperate during this time. Therapy isn't fun, for anything. Austin will go through a lot of emotional issues and open up scars and wounds. Ally may not love him right away, she may take some time to warm up to him. That could break Austin's heart.

Positives – Once Austin and Ally are together, there is nothing that will keep them from each other. This one is good for the long run. Once therapy is done, it's less stress. This one will lead into and is the best option for what Austin ultimately wants, before he even met Ally. A family of his own making, a wife and kids. He's found the wife. He can't have the kids yet because if he can't even work up the guts to tell her how good she looks, he's not asking her to marry him.

Another thing, this could add to his self-confidence. Help him believe in himself.

But he's not ready for therapy.

I could try to combine a few ideas with a few more things thrown in to ease the gaps.

Oh, with how hard I'm working this, I better be his best man.

* * *

I arrive at Sonic Boom to pick Austin up. He can't drive, for good reason.

No one is in the main store.

I check the front door and find it locked. Good. I walk around to the back of the store and open it with the key I got from Austin that Ally had given him. I lock it behind me and climb the stairs to the Practice Room. I open it to see Austin and Ally by the piano. And not how they normally are.

Ally is on the piano bench and Austin is on a bar stool pulled over by the piano.

Mika?

"Oh...Did I interrupt something?"

"Uh..." Ally looks over at Austin and I take the moment to observe them.

Ally sits up straight, as expected but slightly more than normal, and she has an air around her of...guilt? And apologetic. And torn. Probably wants to comfort Mika, if that is him, but, as she probably learned, she can't touch him.

Mika is scared, as always, and on the verge of shaking, also as always. However, he seems more than usual.

His scars are open. Oh no.

"No, we were just talking," Ally finishes.

"Oh, OK," let's get Mika out of the situation. I walk over, purposefully leaving out any tells, "Ready to go?"

Mika nods before standing up, "B-Bye Al-l-l-ly," his hand lifts about two inches in a shy, unsure wave.

Wow, improvement.

And yep, Mika.

Ally reciprocates, "Bye Mika. Bye Dez."

Oh, well, fine.

"Bye," I force myself to wave back, then lead Mika out the door.

I wait until we're a good distance away from anyone, mostly Ally, before asking, "So...what's new?"

* * *

_**Things To Know:**_  
_**{1}** _50's slang, time! Everyone's favorite, right? Well, mine. I love it. This means _**{a}**_ a friend. I am also going to start using it as Nathan's nickname for Dez. Kind of like "bro", you know? _**{b}**_ a good time _**{c}**_ implies an especially good thing _**{d}**_ really happy _**{e}**_ This one isn't directly defined but basically I mean "walked" in this sentence _**{f}**_ really funny_** {g}**_ skeezy guy waiting around for girls_** {h}**_ smooth talk or flattery _**{i}**_ looking for trouble _**{j}**_ Depending on where you look, it means "a guy" or "a hip person" _**{k}**_ cute girl _**{l}**_ high praise usually of the opposite sex {m} In this case, to get very excited. Also means to explode or be really mad _**{n}** _infatuated _**{o}**_ excited _**{p}**_ understand  
_**{2}**_ I am aware this doesn't really sound like Dez's mother but I don't remember her personality well (or any of Dez's family) so I tried to just go for a mother. I hope I did alright.

_**Disclaimer:**_  
I do not own Austin &amp; Ally, the name "Nathan Detroit", the combination of "Fred and George", "For Narnia!", Narnia, other pop culture references, these definitions of the slang words, or things that belong or associated with what I have referenced.


End file.
